What it Truly Stands For
by LordsBecca
Summary: What is Halloween about? Harry finds out.


TITLE: What it Truly Stands For  
AUTHOR: Becca  
EMAIL: lordsbecca@yahoo.com  
RATED: G  
  
SUMMARY: What is Halloween about? Harry finds out.  
  
DISCLAIMER: They. Are. Not. Mine. Y'all should deal with it, mkay? (Enjoy my hick talk, Kakia?)  
  
^*^*^  
  
"Halloween was not about trick-or-treating, candy, pumpkins, or even scary bats and spiders. Halloween   
is about remembering the one's who have moved on. It's about respecting the spirits which still haunt   
us to this day," Professor McGonagall corrected Ron.  
  
"But what about the candy? What about the jack-o-lanterns, and the ghost stories?"  
  
McGonagall slammed her book down. "Candy has nothing to do with any of it!" she screamed. "It was a   
silly tradition, which started who-knows-when by who-cares! During Halloween, we are to respect our   
fellow spirits. We pay tributes to Nearly-Headless-Nick, Professor Binns, Bloody Barron, Peeves, the   
Fat Friar, and the Gray Lady!" She sighed deeply. "That is what Halloween is about."  
  
The class stared at her, and sat quietly. Ron was bright red with embarrassment for causing the   
Professor to get so angry.  
  
Harry thought about what she said. It all made sense to him: he always thought of his late parents on   
Halloween. Of course, it was the day they had been murdered by the horrible Voldemort.  
  
Professor McGonagall after a few moments; "Homework is to write about someone who is deceased. You may   
not write about any of the school ghosts, nor may you write about someone who you know personally. They   
can be Muggle. Four pages, minimum, ten pages maximum. Good luck, and it's due Halloween. You are   
dismissed."   
  
The students grabbed their books, and headed out of the door. Hermione walked smoothly over to Ron and   
Harry. "Who will you two be writing about?"  
  
Ron smiled. "Josef Wronski. I'll write all about his Quidditch career."  
  
"I'm writing about Princess Diana," Hermione replied. "She was so amazing, don't you agree, Harry?"  
  
Harry nodded slightly. He was staring straight head, not seeming to pay attention to Hermione and Ron.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Huh?" He looked at Hermione. "What?"  
  
"Who are you writing about?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "I don't know."Hermione sighed. "Well, I have to go to the library. See you two after   
lunch!"  
  
^*^*^  
  
"Oh. Hi, Sirius."  
  
Sirius Black walked out of the fireplace into the Gryffindor common room. He smiled at Harry, and   
looked at the parchment which was sprawled on the table in front of his Godson. "Project?"  
  
Harry nodded. "About someone who's deceased." Harry kept eye contact with Sirius, while he sat next to   
Harry. "Who could I write about? Someone I never knew."  
  
Sirius gave no hesitation. "I know two people, Harry."  
  
Harry looked back at his parchment. "Do you think..."  
  
"I'm sure McGonagall would except it. You never knew them, Harry.""You really think I should, Sirius?"  
  
Sirius sighed. "Only if you're comfortable with doing so, Harry."Harry nodded. "I should, Sirius. I'll   
write about my parents."  
  
^*^*^  
  
"I'll collect you papers now," McGonagall said, at the end of the class. Students passed their papers to   
the front of the room, chatting as they did so. As Professor McGonagall picked up the papers, she   
flipped through, looking at the different names. When she saw, "Lily and James Potter", she looked up   
at Harry. He was staring at his desk, his eyes no longer his bright emerald green, but more of a hunter   
green...almost black.She shook her head sadly. The poor boy, she thought. Hollow's Eve must be so hard   
for him. She hadn't really thought about how the holiday affected him until then.  
  
"Well," she said happily, "all of these reports look wonderful."  
  
A few students looked up in surprise: McGonagall never said anything like that. Harry was one of few   
who looked at her; she smiled reassuringly at him, and he was taken back.  
  
"These will be returned to you by Friday. Until then, there will be no homework."  
  
The students started at her, stunned.  
  
Minerva McGonagall just smiled to herself.  
  
^*^*^  
  
"Harry, where's your costume? Weren't you going as a Lethifold?"Harry Potter turned around to see Ginny   
Weasley in a stunning, emerald green dress, which complemented her red hair wonderfully. He smiled,   
just slightly, at the sight of her in the magnificent costume: she was to be a nymph.  
  
"I'm not going to the dance, Ginny," Harry replied, as Hermione hooked Ginny's wings onto her back.   
"I'm meeting someone instead."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Harry bit his lip. "An old friend." It was the only thing he could truthfully answer: Ginny didn't know   
Sirius Black was Harry's Godfather.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Hermione smiled at Harry, knowing who he was talking about. She straightened Ginny's wings, examined   
her, and a grin spread across her face. "Perfect!" she exclaimed. "Oh Harry, doesn't she look wonderful?"  
  
"Beautiful."  
  
Ginny blushed, her freckled skin matching her hair.  
  
"Well," said Ron, as he came into the room. "Let's go!" He swung his Chuddly Cannons cape around,   
admiring it. "Best costume I've ever had," he muttered, and smiled. He took Ginny's hand to his left,   
and Hermione on his right. "I have two girls now," he said smugly. "Have fun with Snuffles, Harry!" and   
he lead the way out of the common room.  
  
Harry sat alone in the room, waiting patiently for his Godfather to appear in the fireplace.  
  
"Harry!"  
  
As soon as Sirius showed up, Harry let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"There you are; I thought you weren't going to show up." He paused. "Where exactly are you taking me?"  
  
Sirius walked out of the fireplace. "I wouldn't bail on you, Harry." He beckoned to Harry, and said,   
"Come on. We have to travel fairly far."  
  
^*^*^  
  
There were large, iron gates, with little daisies outlining the bottom of it. Harry could barley see   
what lay beyond; the fog was too dense, the air too gray. He squinted his eyes, trying to see beyond   
the gates. He could see little bumps in the ground...but it was too difficult to make out exactly what   
the bumps were.  
  
"Go on, Harry," Sirius said quietly. He opened one of the gate doors, and gestured Harry to walk in.   
Harry followed directions, though he did it carefully. It was too gloomy to be a place of happiness and   
joy. As he walked in, he felt the air suddenly chill, to the point were he was almost shivering.  
  
He then noticed there was a bump out of the ground next to him. He bent down, and looked carefully   
through the fog. It was a headstone.  
  
He was a in a cemetery.  
  
Of course he was very confused. Why on earth would Sirius want Harry to visit a cemetery?  
  
"This way, Harry." Sirius took Harry's shoulder and lead him towards the back of the cemetery. It was   
denser here, harder to see things that were just a few feet away. It seemed like Sirius was making him   
walk for miles, but finally, they stopped.  
  
They stopped in front of two large stones. On one, was a candle: one that would never, even in the   
worst of weathers, extinguish. The other stone was surrounded by at least thirty pure white lilies.   
Harry then suddenly realized what he was doing here.  
  
"I thought you were old enough to visit them." Sirius spoke softly, and had to force his voice to work.   
"It's time for you to meet them, Harry." Sirius then patted Harry's shoulder, and walked into the fog.  
  
Harry was left along at his parent's graves. He didn't know what to do, so he squatted on the soft   
green grass. He sat there for a few minutes, thinking about what he was actually doing. Sirius said he   
would "meet" his parents. Was that possible? It was impossible. His parents were dead.  
  
A spontaneous warmth replaced the cold air, and Harry was able to stop shivering. A light wind ruffled   
his hair, and the candle's flame danced. The lily petals swayed back and forth, Almost like they're   
saying hello, Harry thought.He suddenly knew what Sirius meant by "meeting" his parents. Though he   
couldn't necessarily talk to them...or see them...he knew they could see, and communicate with him.  
  
He looked up towards the sky: the sun began to break through the solid fog. He could see the light rays   
shooting down through the air, landing on the two stones, and his face. It was as if someone had cut a   
hole in the fog, and it was opening just for him.  
  
"Hello," he whispered. His throat choked up, and as he closed his eyes, he slowly began to cry. "It's   
nice to meet you."  
  
The wind picked up, and leaves from nearby oak trees fluttered into his face. He smiled, though,   
knowing it was just his father and mother saying hello.  
  
He could see Sirius coming back, so he decided to end the meeting with his mysterious parents.  
  
"Goodbye. I'll be back, don't worry. I'll see you later, and I love you both."Sirius met with Harry,   
and hugged him.  
  
"I'm glad I did that, Sirius," Harry said, walking out of the large iron gates."Good," Sirius answered.   
"Just think of it as living up to what Halloween truly stands for."  
  
^*^*^  
13th use of Dragon's Blood: Poison for readers who don't review.  
Be nice. Review for me. 


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